Universal stem head



lJuly 21s9 1 92 5.

' '.J. J.,'HIGGINS UN I VERS AL S TEM HEAD X2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb, 24, 1921 'nel ,INVENTOR Jon/vd. H/GG/Ns ATTORNEY FIG ' INVENTOR 8 JOHN-J. H/GG/Ns ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 1925..

I *UNITED STATES JOHN JOSEPH HIGGINS, or EAST oRANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNQR To wEs'rING-l` PATENT' OFFICE.

HOUSE LAMP-COMPANY, A CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA.

' UNIVERSAL STEM HEAD.

lApplication filled vFebruary 24, v1921. .Serial No.i447,604.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JOSEPH HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Universal Stem Heads, of which thefollowing is a I specification. r

This invention relates to Improvements in machines for the manufacture of Incandescent lamp stems and more partlcularly to that vportion of the machine comprisingnthe work-holding devices which are termed stem heads.

Stem heads are commonly constructed tol support, in-a. given relation, several glass work blanks including an arbor, a flare tube land -an exhaust tube; also several lead-in wires disposed in the proper relation to the blanks. Heat is applied locally to the assembled blanks until a portion thereof is renderedplastic when a mechanism is actu` .ated to compress the plastic portion, thereby consolidating the parts; the product being a\ stem adapted for use in connection with the manufacture of tipless incandescent lamps.

The above mentioned blanks are substantially of cylindrical shape and inherently possess manufacturing variations, such as difference of w'all thickness, diameter, etc. Because of these variations, particularly with 'respect to the diameters, great diii- .culty hasbeen encountered in the alignment other connected elements whichwillafunc, .tion in such a manner that the supporting means will be automatically. adjustable to receive and center blanks of different diameters. V

Other objects of the invention have to do with various features of construction and 'arrangement of parts which lwill manifest themselves upon a reading of the following description and appended claims. y

j In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of my Stem forming mechanism; Fig. 2 is `a side elevation ofF ig. 1, a portion thereof being broken away to more clearly vshow a sectional view of the arbor support;Fi 3 is a Sectional viewof an arbor support, s owing anarbor Supported therein; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper jaws and their-carriers, showing the cover plate removed and the jaws in an open position; Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 4, with the jaws closed upon a tube; Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on line VI--VI of Fig. 1 showing the cover plate of thevcarrier removed; Fig. 7 is an elevation 'of a complete lamp stem; Fig. 8

is anelevation of a portion of a Stem head for making stems in which no exhaust tube -is employed and in whichtlle arbor is sup ported by a pair of jaws, a portion yof the arbor pocketbeing shown broken away.

` Like numerals refer to like parts through.

out the 'several views.- y

A machine of the type to which the present invention relates may comprise in the.

main, a central hub suitably" mounted upon a base and 'provided with a circular plate, or carriage, rigidly secured to the hub and having several bearings disposed near its periphery in which are mounted, a corresponding number of work-holding heads.

Means fare provided for effectingA thein- I dependent rotation ofthe carriage and the heads, the carriage being usually rotated intermittently and. being indexed to move a given distance at each step. The heads are adapted to rotate on their own axes at a given number of 'steps .or stages durlng a cycle of the carriage and are held in. the

path of a suitably disposed flame designed to make-the glass parts plastic; press-form# ing jaws are then actuated the plastic parts.

Subsequent to the consolidation of the work parts .and during` the application of to consolidate heat thereto, a current of air, under.' pressure, is directed down the exhaust tube, and a puncture of the plastic wall.of the tube is effected to provide a communication for f supported in vertical alignment when inF serted between the said jaws.

Referring to the drawings; my improved head consists essentially. cfa standard or frame 2, which may be of any desirable construction and is illustrated in the form of a casting comprising two laterally positioned vertical bearings 3 and 4 connected at ltheir lower ends by a cross piece 5 and at their upper ends by a cross piece 6. Integral with the cross-piece 6 is a hub 7, centrally disposed between the bearings 3 and 4 with its axial line coincident with the axial line upon which the work blanks are assembled.

Extending downwardly. from, and connected to, the cross piece 5, is a hollow shaft 8 having a pinion 13 fixed to its lower end. ,Within the shaft 8 is disposed a vertically reciprocating plunger 9 provided, at its upper end, with a cross head 1() having pivotally connected thereto, by means of links 17 and 18, apair of arms terminating in jaws 11 and 12. The arms and jaws 11 and 12 Yare arranged` to rock on pins 19 and 2O carried in bearings of projections 21 and 22 integral with, and disposed at opposite sides of, the cross piece V6. `A movement ofy the plunger 9 eects an actuation of the jaws 11 and 12 which, when closed, comp-ress certain portions of the work previously rendered plastic bythe application of the heat supdisposed flames. The jaws 11 and 12 are common to this class of machines and are known as press-forming jaws and .will be hereinafter so termed.

Fixed within each of the bearings 3 and 4 are tubular members 23 and 24, respectively, which, in cooperation with another. member, support jaw carriers 27 and 28. The carrier 27 is equipped with flare-tube supporting clamp,. and the carrier 28 is equipped with an exhaust-tube-support-ing clamp. The said clamps consist of a pair of jaws slidably mounted in each of thecarriers and their operation will be more fully described below. Directly above the member 23 and positioned on the axial line thereof is a postf25 having an integral foot or step 26 securely fastened to a cover plate 16 of the carrier 27.

The upper carrier 28 is fastened to the uplper ends of member 24 and the post 25; the lower carrier 27 is `secured, at one side, to

the member 24, which passes there-through,` and, at its opposite side, to the upper end of the member 23.

Each of the carriers 27 and 28 is constructed to furnish guides 14 (see Figs. 4, 5 and 61) for a pair of slidable jaws 30 and 31. The jaws :of each pair are provided with extensions or Shanks 60 and are adapted for 4actuation in opposite directions and toward the axial line of thework. The jaws are preferably formed of sheet metal and the Shanks thereof are provided with rectangular notches 32 and 33 in which are disposed the ends of cam plates 34 and 50 having surfaces 37 and 38 so disposed as to contact with the sides of the notches to effeet a movement of each pair of the jaws to open or close the same. The 'cam plate 34 is secured at the upper end of a spindle 35 movable in the tubular member 24 and retained from a downward movement by means of attached collar 36 which bearsupon the upper end of the member 24. An

actuating lever-40 is pinned, or otherwise secured, to the lower end of the spindle 35 to provide a means for manually oscillating the cam plate 34, and the normal position of the lever is maintained by means of a helical spring 41 connected thereto and to the cross piece 5. The jaws for supporting the flare tube and the means for actuating the same are similar to the exhaust tube supporting jaws and their operating means. The cam 50 which moves the flare tube-holding jaws is securedat the upper end of a spindle 39" rotatably located in the tubular member 23 and the bearing 3 in which is provided a bushing 15, to retain the spindle in a central position within the member 23.

.A collar 29, similar to collar 36, serves as a bearing upon whichvthe spindle 39 is carried. The lower end of the :spindle 39 is provided with an actuating-lever 42 having a. helical spring 45, to maintain it in a normal position, connected to the lever and to the cross piece 5.

Means for supporting the arbor is afforded by the provision of a cylindrical member 44fa-rranged securely in the `bearing 7v and having a centrally located recess or aperture 43 adapted to accommodate an arbor 100.

A vertical slot 4G is milled, orotherwise formed, in the' wall of the member 44,1and

the self-acting finger 47 is disposed within the slot and adapted to swing on the pivotv 48. The finger is, by means of a spring 56, ten'sionally moved toward the vertical axis of the member 44 and is provided with a chamfered surface upon facilitate the entrance of the arbor which is forcibly inserted in place and vretained in position by the contacting finger 47. y

The seat for the arbor is adjustable and consists of a 'short cylinder 49 arranged to be movedvertically in the lower end of the its exposed end to vets, arranged to be secured by vmeans of -set screws 53. The rods are bent outwardly at right angles to afford a means of manual adjustment. j v

In cases where the arbor is provided with a bead 104, as shown in Figs. Band 7 the cylinder 49 may be omitted, a suitable counter bore 54 being provided at v'the upper endl of the aperture 43 for the purpose of aii'ording a ledge 55.upon which the bead 19.4 may rest to support the arbor. f "As shown in Fig. 8, the jaws 30 and 31 for the manufacture of stems for lamps which are exhaustedl from the tip and no exhaust tube is"used.

Any desirable numberV of stem heads may be rotatablyfinounted in thehubs of a revolvingtableori carriage, and the shafts V8,"

which project below the table,are provided with. pinions 13 so disposed as to` engage with a suitable driving gear, at one or more of the stationary periods or stages during a rotationof the table, thereby effecting the rotation of the heads at given stages, at which points'heat may be applied locally to the work, and suitable mechanism may actuate the plunger -9 to close the pressforming jaws to consolidate the work parts 'and thereby form a stem.

In practice, the several work blanks are inserted in the head at the first stage or first stationary position of the table at which point no driving mechanism is provided to rotate'the head, the same being free to be rotated by the operator, who first inserts an arborlOO into the recess, thereby causing it V to be instantly retained in osition by means vof the-self-a'cting finger 4 The actuating' lever 42 is then manipulated to oscillate-tlie spindle 39 which causes a movement of the cam plate and an opening, of the flaretube-holding jaws. A flare tube is then inserted over the exposed end ofthe arbor, and

the lever 42 is released to permit the jaws to move toward their normal position and secure the inserted tube. The. arbor and flare j tubebe'ing thus properly supported, the actuatng lever 40 is moved, causing the eX- haust tube-holding'jaws to open, an exhaust VtelitV Iii/tioii tomar* prliirralityxofn at one or more of which heat is locally applied to a portion of the assembled parts to render them plastic, and the press-forming jaws are duly actuated by any suitable well known mechanism to compress or consolidate the heated parts to produce a stem. 'It will also be understood that heat may be appliedfduring `one or more stages, subsequent to the press-forming operation, for the' purpose of effecting a gradual cooling or annealing of the fused parts.` may be employed to secure'an arbor in heads My improved stem-head-forming machine performs the necessary functions essential to rapid and eilicient production with a minimum amount of working parts which, in a k device of 'this character, is of great advantage for the reason that the maintenance cost is lowered and many superfluous movements on lthe part of the operator are eliminated.

While I have illustrated a preferred enibodiment of my invention, it is evident that i many-structural changes may be made therein and it is to be understood that my inven! tion is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A holder for incandescent electric lamp stein parts comprising upper and lower jawcarriers, pairs of slidable jaws in said car.

riers, vertical members for supporting both carriers and means within said members forv actuating said jaws.

2. A holder for incandescent electric lamp stem parts comprising an upper pair of jaws an'd a lower pair of jaws, each of said pairs `of jaws including two slidable members adapted to be moved to engage a lamp part, spindles associated with each pair of jaws and arms upon said spindles adapted to engage and actuate the jaws to se'cure a lamp part. A

3. A holder for incandescent electric lamp stem parts comprising jaw-carriers, movable jaws in said carriers, vertical members for supporting said carriers, spindles in said members having' ends thereof projecting into said carriers and means associating said spindles with said jaws.

4. A stem head comprising an upper and `a lower pair of jaws, a vertical spindle for of each pair when the respective spindle is oscillated.

5. A stem head comprising an arbor holder, said arbor holder comprising a member having a tubular recess and means for tensionally retaining an arbor therein, an eXhaust-tube-supporting clamp, a flare-tubesupporting clamp, said clamps consisting of slidable jaws mounted in carriers and adapted to secure work blanks of varying diam-4 eters in concentric relation, and means for consolidating the blanks by compressing, after portions thereof have been rendered plastic.

6. A stem head comprising an outer tube clamp, an inner tube clamp and a glass rod holder, each of said clamps comprising a pair of slidable jaws adapted to accommodate tubes of varying diameters, means for actuating said clamps to secure said tubes in concentric relation, means for tensionally retaining the said rod in the holder, a member having well-pockets lto receive the ends of lead-in wires, means for varying the -depths of said well-pockets,` and means for consolidating said tubes, rod and lead-in wires by the formation of a press when said tubes 4and`ro`d have been rendered plastic.

7. AV stem head comprising a pair of slidable outer tube-supporting jaws, a pair of slidable inner tube-supporting jaws, a mem- .loer having a recess for receiving an arbor, means for varying the depth of said recess, means for tensionally retaining an arbor in said recess ina given relation to tubes secured by said jaws and means for consolidating saidtubes and arbor when portions thereor1 have been rendered plastic.

8. A stem head comprising a plurality of pairs of jaws mounted in carriers, supporting members, spindles rotatably mounted within the said members, camY plates secured to the upper ends of said spindles and in operative contact with said jaws, and actuating levers secured to the opposite endsof the spindles whereby the same may be oscillated to effect a movement of the jaws.

9. .A stem head comprising an upper'and a lower work-holding clamp, each of said clamps comprising a pair of slidable jaws, a cam plate associated with each pair of jaws whereby a movement of a given cam plate effects the openingor closing of a pair of jaws controlled thereby, a tubular member having a recess therein to receive `an arbor, means for tensionally holding an arbor in said recess, said tubular member having well-pockets to receive the ends of leadin wires when'disposed in proper relation to depths compressing the work parts when heated. 10. A stem head comprising an upper carrier and a lower carrier, each carrier having a pair of tube-holding jaws mounted slidably therein, individual vactuating cam plates disposed in operative relation to said jaws, means for oscillating the said plates to open and closevsaid pairs o jaws, a member having well-pockets to receive the ends of lead-in wires, means for varying the depth of said well pockets,and'means for consolidating tubes securedby said jaws and lead-in wires when said tubes have been rendered plastic.

11. A stem head comprising an exhausttube-supporting clamp, a flare-tubeisupporting clamp, means for supporting an arbor, each of the said clamps comprising a pair of slidable jaws, a caml plate so associated witheach pair of jaws as to cause the jaws to open and close when the' cam plate is oscillated, means for actuatingv sald cam plates, and means for consolidatin the tubes and arbor when portions thereo have been rendered plastic.

12. A stem head comprising upper and lower work-holding clamps, each of the said clamps comprising a pairof slidable jaws, va cam plate associated with each pair o jaws whereby a movement of a given cam plate effects the opening or closing of a pair of jaws controlled thereby, means for sequentially actuating said cam plates, and means for compressing a portion of the positioned parts when said portion is rendered plastic by heating.

13. In apparatus for manufacturing inlcandescent lamp parts, the combination of a plurality of work-holding clamps, each of the said clamps comprising Va pair of slidable jawspa cam plate rovided with two cam surfaces disposed 1n notches in the shanks of said jaws to elect the movement of a pair of jaws when a given cam plate is moved, spindles associated with saidv cam plates lower ends of said spindles for the purpose of permitting manualactuation of the cam plates.

' 14. A stem head comprising a plurality 4of work-holding clamps, each of the said clamps comprising apalr of jaws slidably vmountedin a carrier and provided with oppositely disposed notches, a cam plate hav` ing two edectiv'e cam surfaces positioned in and actuating levers secured to theother work parts, means for varying the .of said well-pockets, and means for the said -notches of each pair of jaws, a

spindle associated witheach cam plate, said spindles being mounted in tubular supporting members and adapted to be oscillated to etl'ect an opening and closing of said jaws.

15. A stem head comprising a plurality of' work-holding clamps, each of said clamps consisting of a pair of jaws slidably lli attacca mounted in carriers, a cam positioned in operative relation to each pair of said jaws, a spindle secured to each cam plate, tubular supporting members for the spindles, a tubular member having a recess therein to receive work, means for tensionally supporting the work in said recess, means for manually oscillating the said spindles to open said jaws, and means for automatically closing 'the jaws. y

16.\A stem head comprising a plurality of work-holding clamps, each of said clamps comprising a pair of jaws slidably mounted in a carrier, a cam plate disposed in operative relation to each of said jaws, spindles connected to said cam plates, tubular supporting-members for said spindles, a workholding member having a recess disposed on the axial line` thereof and provided with a tension linger adapted to hold a work part within the recess, actuating levers secured to the ends of said spindles for manually opening the jaws, and means for automatically closing the jaws when the levers are released.

17. A stem head comprising a plurality of work-holding clamps, each of said clamps `comprising a pair of jaws slidably mounted in a carrier, a cam plate disposed in operative relation to each of said jaws, spindles connected to said cam porting members forv said spindles, a workholding member having a recess disposed on the axial line thereof and provided with a tension -finger adapted to hold a work part within the recess, said work holding member having well pockets disposed at opposite sides of said recess,lmeansvforvarying the depth of said pockets, and actuating levers secured to the ends of the said spindles for operating the jaws.

18. device for supporting cylindrical plates, tubular supobjects of di'erent diameters comprising a pair or slidable jaws adapted to move in opposite directions, a spindle for each pair of jaws and an oscillatory member movable with each spindle to directly engage with and, open and close said jaws when said spindles are krotated about their longitudinal axis.

19I A device for supporting a tubular body comprising a carrier having a pair of jaws slidably mounted therein and provided with -oppositelyi disposed notches, a cam plate positioned within the said notches, and means for actuating the said cams to eii'ect a movement of said jaws.

20. A device for supporting tubular bodies comprising a plurality of work-holding clamps, each of said clamps consisting of a pair of slidable jaws mounted in carriers, a cam plate disposed in operative relatior to each pair of jaws, spindles connected to said cam-plates, tubular supporting members for said spindles, said cams being adapted for oscillation by means of actuating levers secured to the ends of said spindles;

21. A device for supporting a tubular body comprising a carrier having gripping l jaws slidably mounted-vin guides therein and provided with oppositely disposed notches upon the shanks thereof, a cam plate positioned within each pair of said notches and in operative relation with the sides thereof,

lspindles fastened to said cam plates, and

actuating levers fastened to'said spindles to permit the manual actuation of' the cam plates.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name this 23d day of February,'19 21.

JHN JOSEPH lllG'GlhlSi.A 

